Carapuzik riding an ant: 100 million years of myrmecophilia
A friend in trouble will not give up, will not ask too much, that's what a true true friend means. The concept of friendship is slightly different for us, for people, and for animals. After all, if a friend uses you, then it is already difficult to call him a friend. In the wildlife world there is no place for moral and ethical principles, there is only one rule - to survive in any way possible. Therefore, some creatures of one species begin to cooperate with creatures of another species. Such relationships are both mutually beneficial and beneficial only to one individual from a duet. Interspecific “friendship” is called symbiosis, there are many examples of this in the modern world, but how long has such a non-standard mechanism of survival been born? If the calculations of scientists are correct, then no less than 100 million years ago.
Today we will get acquainted with a study in which a group of scientists examined a fossil beetle, once stuck in tree sap and preserved to this day in very good condition. Observations have proved the symbiotic relationship between this insect and the forefathers of modern ants. What exactly did scientists find, how do finds from the past explain the present, and what is so unusual about this bug? Answers await us in a study group report. Go.
The main character
One hundred million years ago, a small beetle crawled into a tree, thought of its own and did not bother anyone. He was so dreaming that he did not notice how he got into viscous wood juice. Who knows, maybe he would be calmer if he knew that after millions of years he would become a hero of scientific research. This ill-fated tree sap subsequently became an amber prison, or more precisely, Burmese amber.
Insect in Amber.
Burmese amber is amber that can be found in northeastern Burma (now Myanmar). Another name for this fossil resin is birmit.
The description of birmit was first published in 1893, when the German researcher Otto Helm described in his work an unusual substance that he received from the German geologist Fritz Nötling.
Beermite, as is customary for people, began to be mined in large quantities, but the mass was not so great - only 40 tons in the period from 1897 to 1930. Then, in 1936, production was stopped and again resumed only in 1999. Since then, only 10-500 kg per year has been extracted. By the way, the London Museum of Natural History stores the largest piece of amber weighing 15 kg.
Amber Market in Kachin, Myanmar.
Scientists are not so much interested in amber itself, but what can be found in it, namely the remains of various creatures that inhabited our planet millions of years ago. This also applies to the protagonist of the study.
Promyrmister kistneri is a fossilized species of beetles from the insect family with a very cute name - karapuziki. This family currently has about 3,500 species, and they got their name due to the small size - from 1 to 25 mm.
The Carapace Beetle, which for some reason is called Clown beetle in English , is probably due to its appearance. The second name Hister beetle (from Latin “hister” - actor) is probably given for the ability to portray the dead in case of danger.
The main feature of these insects is their symbiosis with ants, although ants do not really know about this. The fact is that some species of karapuziks, like Stirlitz, penetrate the enemy camp, that is, a colony of ants, and use their benefits. But the beetle cannot just enter the colony and say: "hello, I'm a squirrel, let's be friends, do not push and live together." In this case, the ants would quickly deal with the stranger. However, the peanut is cunning and ready for a lot to use free food and ants' housing. It adapts to ants, while changing its anatomy, behavior, and even the chemical footprint. After this, ants consider him one of them.
Such adaptation processes associated with symbiotic bonds are not so common in nature. As a rule, creatures in symbiosis either do not change, or change not so radically, adapting to their partner.
Judging by the researchers, the fossil beetle karapuzik from amber was also adapted and introduced into the ant colony.
So, we turn to a more detailed description of the studied bug.
Image # 1: Promyrmister kistneri.
The size of the amber prison in which the beetle is imprisoned is 5.5 mm long and 3.5 mm wide. As can be seen from photo 1A , the beetle is well preserved, except that part of the left side is covered with exudate extending from the ventral side of the margin of the pronotum (arrows on 1A and 1G)
Scientists were able to determine the type of this beetle according to certain distinctive external signs:
- large deepening behind the middle and posterior basal segments of the limbs ( 1C , 1H );
- metaventral postcoxal line, curved and extending laterally to the metaneesternum ( 1B , 1C );
- three distinct strips (grooves) on each elytra ( 1A );
- absence of dorsal furrows on pronotum ( 1A , 1B );
- highly developed apical spur on the extremities ( 1D , 1E );
- furrow between the combined platband and forehead ( 1B , 1C );
- cavity of a triangular shape at the point of attachment of the antennas;
- glandular opening in the postcoxal cavity behind the metacox ( 1H ).
The dimensions of the beetle itself are 3.2 mm in length and 2.3 in width (really a karapuzik). A fossil beetle was found in an amber mine near Noah Bam, Tanaing, Kachin, Myanmar.
The uranium-lead method of dating fossils showed that this piece of amber (and therefore the beetle in it) is approximately 98.79 ± 0.62 million years old.
About friendship in nature (in order not to stretch the story, a piece of one of the previous articles on symbiosis is hidden under the spoiler)
For a person, the benefit of friendship is usually psychological (emotional) in nature. We meet new people, begin to make friends and communicate because we simply enjoy it. The same can be said about our pets. Cats, dogs, hamsters, fish, etc. they are friends for a person and more likely moral than physical support. Although there are people living on the principle of a mother from the movie "Prostokvashino":
Clown fish in anemone.
A striking and one of the most famous examples are clown fish and sea anemones (sea anemones). Fishes, at the sight of which many exclaim something like "Oh, Nemo!", Living inside the anemone, are immune to their knidocytes (stinging / stinging cells), but predators are very susceptible. In other words, clown fish live in a house with an electric fence. Sea anemones benefit from such a neighborhood in the form of nutrients from the waste products of fish.
Another unusual symbiosis, some species of anemone form with hermit crabs.
From the depths of the sea we move to a flowering meadow. Who do we always represent next to a flower? Of course bees. These workaholics collect nectar from flowers, that is, they receive food. At the same time, flying from flower to flower, they carry out so-called indirect pollination, which helps plants in reproduction. In other words, the question “did you hold a candle?” The bee would answer in the affirmative, and then would sting you for such inappropriate questions.
Bees on a sunflower.
In addition to bees, other types of insects (ants, bumblebees, butterflies, etc.), as well as vertebrates (birds, bats, rodents, etc.) help the plants in the pollination process.
As we have already understood, symbiotic relationships are not uncommon. We are rather surprised by the participants in these relations, rather than the fact of their existence.
- Well, you yourself think, what is the use of this cat?But back to the flora and fauna. In the wild (we will not consider symbiosis under controlled conditions), relations between representatives of different species are necessary for survival or for a more comfortable life.
“Well, why is it necessarily good?” What, for example, is the use of this painting on the wall?
- This picture on the wall is very useful - it blocks a hole in the wallpaper!
Clown fish in anemone.
A striking and one of the most famous examples are clown fish and sea anemones (sea anemones). Fishes, at the sight of which many exclaim something like "Oh, Nemo!", Living inside the anemone, are immune to their knidocytes (stinging / stinging cells), but predators are very susceptible. In other words, clown fish live in a house with an electric fence. Sea anemones benefit from such a neighborhood in the form of nutrients from the waste products of fish.
Another unusual symbiosis, some species of anemone form with hermit crabs.
From the depths of the sea we move to a flowering meadow. Who do we always represent next to a flower? Of course bees. These workaholics collect nectar from flowers, that is, they receive food. At the same time, flying from flower to flower, they carry out so-called indirect pollination, which helps plants in reproduction. In other words, the question “did you hold a candle?” The bee would answer in the affirmative, and then would sting you for such inappropriate questions.
Bees on a sunflower.
In addition to bees, other types of insects (ants, bumblebees, butterflies, etc.), as well as vertebrates (birds, bats, rodents, etc.) help the plants in the pollination process.
As we have already understood, symbiotic relationships are not uncommon. We are rather surprised by the participants in these relations, rather than the fact of their existence.
Research results
Researchers note that myrmecophiles * existed back in the Eocene period * , and the eusociality * of ants is twice as old. However, earlier there was no evidence that myrmecophiles lived in ant colonies 100 million years ago.
Mirmecophil * - a creature that lives with ants in the same nest or next to it, as well as dependent on them.
Eocene * - one of the stages of the Paleogene period, began 56 and ended 33.9 million years ago.
Eusociality * - the highest level of social organization of animals.The difficulty in determining the presence of myrmecophiles among ants at that time lies in the fact that fossils of ants are not as common as you might think, and the number of possible myrmecophiles inside one colony is very small, judging by modern observations.
The common beetle found and studied in this work can be evidence that the coexistence of this species with ants began as early as the Mesozoic (from 251 million to 0.024 million years ago).
The results of the analysis of the morphology and phylogenetic position of the fossil Promyrmister indicate that we have before us a new genus of extinct branch of obligate myrmecophiles * from the taxon group Haeteriinae ( 2A , 2B ).
Obligatory myrmecophiles * - organisms that cannot survive without myrmecophilia, that is, without ants.
Image No. 2
It is worth noting that the representatives of the haeteriine taxon are more than comfortable among ants, which is confirmed by the peculiarities of their behavior: stomodeal trophallaxis (feeding by belching), cleaning of working ants, attaching to ants ( phoresis * ) and workers transferring through the territory of the nest.
Phorezia * - the resettlement of one organism by transferring it to another organism.In order to feel so free among ants, the common beetle must adapt to its neighbors. And this happens not only at the level of behavioral characteristics, but also anatomical and chemical. First of all, the beetle imitates the cuticular hydrocarbons of the colony where it lives. In addition, the beetle uses a special substance secreted from the glands along the edges of the prothorax or postcoxal region of the lower body, as a sedative for ants, that is, sedative.
At the moment, there is a genus of Haeterius ( 2C ) karapuzik beetles , to which the investigated fossil Promyrmister beetle would logically be attributed . Why is it important? Because this genus and related taxa ( Eretmotus , Sternocoelisand Satrapes ) together form a single group that occurs in the Palaearctic * . In the same region, we find Burmese amber.
Judging by the study, Promyrmister ( 2C ) fossils have the classic appearance of beetles from the genus Haeterius . Scientists believe that these signs are directly related to the insect's lifestyle, that is, the need to live with ants, imitating them. External features include: wide tibia with spikes on the outer edge, short legs on the tibia, the space between the antennae of a triangular shape, pronounced antennal cavities on the ventrolateral part of the myotome, and a wide provental lobe. Scientists believe that such anatomical features are due to the need to resist the mandibles (mandibles) of ants.Palearctic * - biogeographic region (red color on the map).
Curious is also the fact of the behavioral characteristics of the beetle. The fact is that scientists previously investigated another species of beetles ( Staphylinidae ), which live in symbiosis with termites. Despite the presence of protective morphology (structural features of the body), these bugs are considered invaders or “parasites” in the everyday sense of the word. But karapuzik beetles coexist with ants quite peacefully precisely due to social integration into the life of the colony ( 2D , 2E ).
In addition, karapuzik beetles use some kind of pacifying substance, supposedly secreted by glands along the edges of the prothorax. A detailed study of this aspect in fossils is rather problematic, however, the presence of exudates on the studied individual ( 1A and 1G) indicates that the substance was released in the region of the left edge of the protorax.
To summarize, we can say with a certain degree of certainty that the fossil beetle Promyrmister , like its modern relatives, lived in ant colonies, using all the attendant benefits. At the same time, there was a complete social and symbiotic integration into the ant society, realized through anatomical mimicry, a calming substance, and imitation of the cuticular hydrocarbons of ants.
The question remains - with which ants did the Promyrmister beetles live?
All ants that have ever been found in Burmese amber belong to the same branch of Formicidae : representatives of the genera Gerontoformica , Myanmyrmaand Camelomecia , as well as the extinct subfamily Sphecomyrminae . The listed ants do not have signs of a common crown group, but they were nevertheless assigned to the same Formicidae group . However, as I said earlier, there are very few fossil ants in amber, therefore it is difficult to compare Promyrmister beetles with a certain type of ants.
Scientists suggest that the studied beetle could live in symbiosis with representatives of the species of ants belonging to the steem group. But scientists do not discard the likelihood of finding in the future fossils of those same ants that may be from the crown group.
Crown group (crown group) * - a group of all descendants of a common ancestor of living species.
Stem group * - all extinct species minus those included in the crown group.
Regardless of whether the Promyrmister lived with the ants from the crown group or not, one thing is clear - their original symbionts have long died out.
Image No. 3
Examining modern ants, it becomes clear that representatives of the beetles are not attached to a specific species or genus of ants. They can be found in colonies of ants from the genus Dolichoderinae , Dorylinae , Formicinae , Myrmicinae andPonerinae (image No. 3). It is this “inconstancy” in the choice of a partner that explains the long history of the existence of symbiosis between peanuts and ants, as scientists say. Not being attached to the same species or genus of ants, beetles were able to avoid extinction with them.
One gets the impression that the beetles-karapuziks in the process of evolution did not get rid of the symbiotic lifestyle, but improved it not only by better adaptation to a particular symbiont, but also by choosing the best symbiont.
Image No. 4: examples of the adaptation of beetles to symbionts.
Figure 4A shows the migration of ants of the Eciton burchellii species, in the ranks of which a few beetles were found. As can be seen from the photo, the beetles have a similar color, like their "brothers" ants. Image 4B is a working ant of the Eciton hamatum species and a beetle whose appearance clearly indicates adaptation to this specific species of ants. Image 4C is a test of mindfulness. Pay attention to where the arrow points - this is not an ant gaster, but a bug. Attaching to the ant's body, the bug can migrate with the colony. And its color and mounting location help disguise itself to avoid dangers.
For a more detailed acquaintance with the nuances of the study, I strongly recommend that you look into the report of scientists and additional materials to it.
Epilogue
Symbiosis is not something new, it is not a fashion trend of wildlife. This is a phenomenon that has evolved over many millions of years along with those who used it. Of course, to find the source of symbiosis is almost impossible, but thanks to this study it becomes clear that the symbiotic relationship between different types of living organisms has existed for at least 100 million years.
Not knowing our story, we doom ourselves to ignorance. This thesis applies not only to the history of our civilization, but also to the world around us. The flora and fauna of this world has evolved for a very long time, and we cannot discover all its secrets at a time. There is still much to discover, much to explore and much to understand, before we can confidently say that we know the world in which we live.
Friday off-top:
A small video about the life of beetles in a colony of ants.
A small video about the life of beetles in a colony of ants.
Off Top 2.0:
This video has already been used in one of the previous articles, but it is also suitable for this one (besides, the video is very funny).
Thank you for your attention, stay curious and have a great weekend everyone, guys! :)
This video has already been used in one of the previous articles, but it is also suitable for this one (besides, the video is very funny).
Thank you for your attention, stay curious and have a great weekend everyone, guys! :)
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